 This is hardly one of the most impressive palo verde trees, just a pic of one I took at a convenient time. You can't imagine how many.....  ....palo verdes are part of the landscape until they are in bloom. So distinctive! I'd say the mesquite are the most abundant but lots of Palos too as I pause during a 40 mile route in Oro Valley.  I visit Sabino Canyon for my "go-to" hike, a 2 mile loop. I often pass this entrance to a short canyon and look at the ledge on the left side. Looks like it could be a fun climb but that crease could make it home to a den of rattlesnakes. I carefully climb....  ....until I reach the bottom of the ledge. You can't tell from the image but the slope is too steep to gain the ledge, for me to try. Also, no snakes. I've had several dozen encounters with snakes and used to keep an Excel spreadsheet listing each, lol. I think, given time to contemplate, I could recall each encounter.  I near the end of the hike, which is beautiful. LOVE the mountains.  How bout that???? One of the many systems moving out of southern CA dipped low enough to bring us some rain. Enough that there were puddles of water on the pavement.
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 In recent years, I've traveled the southwest and beyond on summer vacations to escape the southern AZ heat. While driving, I've seen many of these RVs that people have rented. Intriguing for sure. Welp folks, while I'll not be renting one of these....  ....my girlfriend has one of these, a Winnebago Travato. I've not seen it as it's in storage in Phoenix but we're going to take a trial run with a trip to Sedona in a few days to do some hiking and exploring. We'll stay along Oak Creek in a shady spot that looks great. If all goes well, soon thereafter, we'll hit the road. First, we'll visit Ohio so she can meet family. I'm nervous about this RV experience, to be honest, lol. More to come.
 Many years ago, a friend, Greg D. and I hiked off the North Rim via the Bill Hall trail. So, so much fun to do a loop that included Thunder River, Colorado River, Deer Creek Narrows, Surprise Valley, Esplanade, etc.... So fun until.....  ....it wasn't. Summer heat melted the glue holding the soles of my hiking shoes. This occurred early in the hike and after we encountered a guy, hiking out who had the same issue. Greg asked if I wanted to spit the bit and exit the Canyon but I decided to keep going. What great memories of an event filled hike.
 Got in a 40 mile ride which included a stop to rest and a bold road runner.  Ate at Noble Hops which has a good patio experience but sadly, that will change as an adjoining parking lot will be turned into apartments, spoiling the view.  We were invited to watch the "pink" moon at a friend's house but alas, one of us got the time wrong and missed the celestial event. Still a beautiful setting.  Went out for another 40 mile ride to the east. Going by one of the many farms on Woodland Road I spotted a herd of sheep. This inquisitive guy checked me out. The owner of the farm told me to look at a nearby tree and....  ....see baby sheep climbing. Sure enough, there were two on the limbs, right in the image.
 Settled in for a brief push through a car wash line. This must be a very profitable business because there is one on every corner.  Wow! Now that's a sunrise, which came with a sprinkle or two.  The day is kinda windy so I opt to do a hike. Rarely is a new trail established by the park service and its volunteers but one was recently established, creating a loop. I start on the Finger Rock trail.  There are a couple of wash crossings, this one with an impressive cairn to mark the passage. Soon.....  ....the climbing begins in earnest. So, so steep, sometimes via granite slabs but usually big steps up boulders.  Finger Rock begins to slip from view behind Finger Rock Guard. Since I made it this far, I began to think I should do the climb to that, one day soon. It is sooooo cool to sit on top of the Guard.  Another slab but I thought this one might bring me to the point at which the trail breaks from FR trail as it heads to Kimbal Peak and instead goes to Linda Vista Saddle.  I pass a nice, Alligator Juniper and after 3 miles of climbing....  ....am almost there. My legs, not in very good hiking condition, felt relieved.  It's a beautiful spot, the saddle. I thought about exploring the formation to the right but decided against it. For an unknown reason, I did not rest here. That was kinda dumb in hindsight.  Instead, I began descending on the new trail section, which would take me back to the trail head. Whoa! What a relief!!! The trail was smooth and no boulders to climb. And not particularly steep either.  Another interesting formation as I continue to descend. Eventually, as the excellent trail conditions continue.....  ....I pass this lone saguaro.  Check out the serpentine nature of the trail! The descent is 4 miles so naturally, compared to the other side's 3 mile ascent, it is not as steep. But then, after 2 miles.....  ....the descent steepens and the boulders return. Ugh. I did pass a stone foundation and wondered what was its history. My somewhat wobbly legs were grateful to reach my vehicle with 7.15 miles and 2700' elevation gain.
 Approaching Picacho Peak State Park, the peak appears unimaginably impossible to ascend without equipment. Yet, there is a fun route that gives a full body workout.  Standing at the base of the Hunter Trail, the route heads towards that yellow, concave area, hangs a left to the base of that wall, makes a right and goes to the saddle on the right side. The 0.8 miles to the saddle has an average grade of 30%.  Being that steep, there are places where railing has been installed to aid the uphill effort.  Upon reaching the yellow, concave area, I make my left and am about to now do a 180 and ascend to the saddle. Today is a very windy day so I got an early start to avoid the worst of it. Recently, we've had several systems emerge from southern CA and spin through to our north, bringing wind if not precipitation.  I took a break at the saddle and chatted with a couple of women, vacationing from Idaho. Next, is a short descent to acquire the back side of the peak. The grade through here is over 40% so there is a lot of cabling. The descent could be done without use of the cables but the pace would be much slower.  A final, half mile ascent is a lot of fun! Walls to climb and sections that have fencing to keep me on the side of the mountain rather than plunging to my death.  This section even us a short bridge. Rounding the above corner and then a series of switchbacks brings me.....  ...to the peak. Across I10 is Newman Peak which is about 1000' higher than Picacho. The climb to that peak is a rough one! Finished with 3 miles and 1800' of elevation gain. I was kind of encouraged that my times were not too far from my personal bests, this being my 7th time doing the hike. Hmmmm, maybe I should try something more ambitious given more windy days are approaching. And so I did. More to come!
 Again, thankfully, I witness another sunrise as the sun lights Cathedral Rock, the high point in the front range of the Catalinas.  I was in the middle of a 40 mile ride in Oro Valley when my rear tire flatted. Like the front tire last month, it was pointless to replace the tube because the tire was pretty much shot. Fortunately.....  ....Oro Valley Bicycle shop was about a mile away and they accepted my bike and quickly changed the tire. Tire, tube and labor...$100+ but what are ya going to do? My "BH" bike is still going strong. I've had it much longer than the previously owned Treks, Bianchi and Lamond. I am thinking about a new one but I struggle between another regular road bike and a high end e assist road bike.  On another ride, I saw the largest ocotillo I've ever seen. I can guess the age of saguaro fairly closely but these plants, no idea.  Yeah, another sunrise. I hope you don't look at these images on your phone. An iPad or laptop is much better to appreciated some of these images.  Starr Pass Resort, sitting on the patio. Life is good. I'll be on the road soon, visiting Ohio with a friend then away from the summer heat for 2-3 months doing some exploring. Final details are yet to be ironed out but certainly Montana will be a big part of the road show.  The purpose of our visit at the resort was to watch what is a very credible performer who switches from guitar to piano, playing songs that all of us enjoy, who were there too.
 Surely, after 24 hours the water would have made it beyond the last bridge at SC and sure enough it had but only within the last hour...amazing. This was confirmed by a hiker who had earlier crossed the bridge and it was all dry. I proceeded.....  ....upstream and watched the water flow over the dam while and mother and child had selected a good observation point. The second reason I came back so soon was....  ....my time to climb to the Phoneline Trail was outside the top 10 on Strava. Can't have that so I put in the effort and am safely ensconced in the top 10. Finished with an enjoyable, 4.5 mile hike.  Saguaro cactus are valuable for landscapes. Trucks like the above are used to transport them. I'm always surprised by how small is the root ball. I know a guy who works at a commercial nursery and asked about the small mass of roots when pulled from the ground. You simply dig a small hole and plop the cactus into the ground and they adapt. Surely they would be easily toppled but apparently not. They are bottom heavy.  So a brief spate of cool temps put me in hiking mode but now our daily highs are in the 70's and 80's so got out for a couple of 40 mile rides that included....  ....stopping to take a pic of a fairly large King snake.
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